


Under The Sea

by sweeneybearsam



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Aquarium AU, M/M, dolphin trainer au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-13 06:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2140935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweeneybearsam/pseuds/sweeneybearsam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An Au|| Richard Speight is the head trainer at a prestigious aquarium, and is a little too enamoured with the pretty new performer signed for the summer mermaid shows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet The New Boy

"It’s just for the summer show, Rich. Besides, the kid is your type of performer. Tall, dark and oh-so-handsome."

Richard grumbled as he lay back on the discovery ledge, slinging an arm around the small female bottle-nose splashing at him. Some days, he wondered why he agreed to take the head trainer position if they insisted on throwing rookies into the tank with his beloved marine babies. He rolled to his stomach, giving her the hand signal to go back and rest.

As she slid into the water, the trainer pulled himself up and out of the pool, staring at the shorter blue eyed man leaning on the rails. Rob was his best friend, and much preferred the perks of being an MC to being in the water, which was probably a reason he didn’t get his friend’s frustration.

"He could be sex on flippers and I still wouldn’t want him in the water."

Rich grunted as he wriggled his shoulders out of his wet suit, rolling his large golden eyes. He didn’t want to meet this kid. In fact? He wanted to see this chump get the crap scared out of him and him not come near the dolphins. After ten years in the park, they were more his family than the parents who mocked his career. 

"Where is he?"

Rob hummed, leaning to steal a kiss.

"The arena. He’s pretty, Rick, really. I think I’ll like the mermaid thing if they all look like him."

Rick let out a hum in response, returning the kiss and whispering against his friend’s lips. 

"I hope Dante has fun with him."

"You’re a jerk, and that is really mean, Richard. Go meet your new playmate. I’ll be back to creep on the intro."

"I hate you, Rob."

Rob snorted, shaking his head as he teased back. 

"Only when I’m not screaming your name, bud."

"Touche."

Then they separated, Rich rolling his suit down and shaking a bit as he stepped up onto the observation deck, spotting Mandy chatting with a dark haired man who had his lower half in the water. He took a second to observe him, noting how powerful he looked, and the ease with which he stayed afloat.

From where he was, Rich had to agree. He was good looking, with a long, lean frame, dark hair and what Rich could see were large, clear green eyes that were a shade he’d never seen on a human before as he drew closer. The conversation stopped as Rich stepped onto the deck, Mandy grinning. Her voice was high and excited as she chirped to the man in the water. 

"Matt, this is Rich! He’s our head trainer, and he’ll be overseeing your interaction with the dolphins during the shows. Rich, this is Matthew Cohen. He prefers to go by Matt, though. I’m going to go find Rob and run preshow prep. See you boys soon! Play nice, Richard.."

The last part was hissed at Rich as she climbed off the deck and onto the catwalk, brown eyes dangerously narrowed as she slid off. Rich waited for her to leave before turning his attention to this ‘Matthew Cohen’ kid and sighing as he sat on the rock face, watching him.

"They want you with our two older dolphins, Dante and Persephone. Before I bring the kids in, I need to get a feel for what you can do on your own. Safety, you understand…"


	2. Time To Walk The Plank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich puts the new kid through his paces.

”No, yeah… I get it. What do you want me to do? Laps, dives, suicides?”

Rich was surprised as the younger man effortlessly pulled himself out of the water to sit on the ledge, the nylon tail he was wearing flipping in the water as he kicked his presumably long legs waiting patiently for Rich to reply.

He was so impressed by his willingness that for a second, he could only gape at the admittedly handsome man. Then he came back, blinking his large whiskey colored eyes and tugging his suit back up self consciously. Stepping back, he stared around the pool, thinking.

They were on the training ledge of the smaller pool, where they generally practiced with the newer trainers and the older dolphins, the pool easily more shallow than the performance arena.

To be fair, he should have ordered the green eyed man to go to the larger pool, but he decided to be fair and not a dick. He moved to sink beside the man, a thrill running through him as he got a much better look at Matt’s face. It took his breath away, making him shake his head before finally replying, pointing as he spoke.

"Six laps, from this ledge to the discovery ledge over there. Then two suicide dives, through the center of the pool. The actual performance pool is much deeper, but if you can hold out for the suicide dives, you’ll be fine in there. Keep in mind, you’ll be moving with dolphins during the shows. They are fast, curious, playful and above all else— childish. They are going to be messing with you in the water, so you need to be able to adapt."

Then Rich stood again, backing up to resume his perch on the rock face and watching the other man as he prepared. Rich didn’t hide the way his eyes locked as strong, broad shoulders rolled, muscles bunching under tan skin and making him wish he could feel the tensing under his fingertips.

It was weird how transfixed he was over Matthew, unable to look away as he shifted to dive in, never even blinking as he moved through the water, only coming up for air twice in the six laps. He was forced to look at Matt’s face as his musical voice floated out from the center, head tilted.

"Do you want to put the monitor on? To watch the dives? That was how they did it at the other park."

He was confused for a second before nodding, grinning sheepishly and jumping as Rob’s voice rang out form his booth. Rich spun to peer up at the PA booth, eyes narrowed venomously as Rob grinned down, leaning into the mic and calling cheerily.

"All ready! Call it out when you head down, I’ll get it switched on so Rich here can watch. Try and remember to breathe deep before you dive, pace yourself, and relax! We’re so glad you’ve joined our team."

His eyes rolled up and fixed back on Matt as he flashed Rich a heart stopping smile, then drew in a deep breath, his chest expand with the intake of air. Then Rich was sure this was a bad idea as he watched the way the dark haired man dove with seemingly no effort, pulling himself to the bottom and skimming the length of the pool, per the limitations of the suicide dive.

It was painfully obvious why he was one of the men chosen for the show. The tail he wore flexed with little resistance as he moved his legs inside it, the motion fluid as he pulled himself through the water, arms lazily at his sides, using the way he moved his lean torso and narrow hips to propel him.

Then it was over, Matthew breaching the surface of the pool, making his way back to the ledge, having completed the assignment. He was so graceful with how he pulled himself from the water, laying on the ledge and smiling up at Rich, chest hardly moving as he made up for the lack of air during his dive.

Yep. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea, and the words kept screaming at Rich as he found himself watching the way the water clung to Matt’s thick eye lashes, and the way the stray drops rolled over the curve of his chest, collecting in the dips of his hip bones, making Rich blush as he tore his gaze from the fine hairs he could see with the drops clinging to them.

He dimly registered Matthew asking how he’d done, shaking his head and narrowing his eyes, face a stoic mask of denial. He was going to have to fake it, to avoid problems. He shrugged, rolling his eyes as he replied, heading out of the arena.

"I guess you’ll have to do."


	3. My Best Friend Is a Whore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich is weirdly possessive.

He was gone all of five minutes, clearing his head and forcing the thoughts about the younger man from his mind before he was moving back, watching Matt continue to lay out on the ledge, chatting with Rob, who was in full flirt mode, batting his thick, long lashes over his sky blue eyes, making Rich roll his own once more. If this trend kept up, he was going sprain something…

He shook his head once more, brushing past Rob and Matthew to get to the catwalk, making the short trek to the gates and leaning over, whistle between his lips as he spotted the dolphins assigned to Matt.

He perched on the gate, giving Dante and Persephone the commands to wait where they were as he pivoted gracefully to stare at the pair on the ledge, feeling something he could not explain raise in his chest as he realized Matt was leaning really close to Rob. He cleared his throat, sighing as he spoke.

“Kay, Robert. You can go now. Matthew here has to meet the kids and get the playdate underway.”

Rob looked guilty as he nodded, offering Matt one last soft, shy smile before heading back to the path behind the pools. Rich watched him, making sure he was really gone before he let himself move back to Matt, keeping his eyes narrowed. As he spoke, the weird rage he felt seeing Rob being such a little… harlot—still making his voice tight.

“First off? Rob is a brat who likes to get pretty little boys like you in trouble. If you’re in the pools, he is invisible. Love the jackass to death, he’s my best friend… but this is not a game, and you need to be focusing. Dolphins are smart, yes. Playful. However, they are still unpredictable, and one little wink at the cute blue eyed idiot giggling from the PA box could mean you get caught in something. Am I clear?”

Matt blinked, clearly stunned and a little surprised before he nodded. Rich made a mental note to never look at him again when he was being scolded… those damn eyes and the way he unconsciously worried his lower lip between his teeth had a sudden jolt bursting through Rich, making him momentarily wonder if Matt’s lips were as soft as they looked. Then he heard Dante in the next pool, coming back and finishing his instructions.

“Right. So—I’m going to let them in. The larger one is Dante, the smaller one with the missing half of her fluke is Persephone. They answer to their names, so you can call to them. You need to see if you can bond with them—until the shows start running rehearsals, you’re a probie and you are to shadow me in shows. Stay here, on the ledge, I’ll let you know when to call for them.”

With that, Rich grabbed the give chain, getting the gate open and giving the whistle a sharp blast, summoning the two dolphins in question. They flowed in, chasing each other and lapping the pool several times before Rich had made it to the ledge, grabbing the bait bucket and moving to stand next to Matt. The wetsuit he wore was only covering his legs, and Rich took a second to appreciate how right he had been about them being long. The man’s arms were insane, powerful and large.

It was very distracting, being next to someone so carelessly beautiful. He watched the way the wide green eyes fixed on the animals, smiling in spite of himself as Matt himself grinned, clearly excited by what he saw. Rich set about, showing the younger man what to do and settling back to watch him interact content to spend the hour of pre-show prep on the ledge watching Matt swimming with the dolphins, noting how they were matched in grace.

It was almost a sad thing when he had to call Matt out of the water, explaining that the kids needed to rest before the night’s show, forgetting to breathe as Matt reached for his hand to get some help getting out of the pool.

“Rich? Do you mind—Can I—Hand? “

“Hmm? OH! Right. Yeah, sorry. Here, watch your footing, the ledge is slippery and—-“

And then something that was magical and humiliating and honestly great happened. As he grabbed Matt’s wrist and heaved back to help haul him out of the water, Matt got his foot on the ledge… and slipped.

The connection of their hands had Matt sprawling foreword, landing chest to chest with Richard, who landed flat on his back, arms wrapping around Matt unconsciously to protect him during the crash. Once it was over, they lay there for along second, blinking at one another, neither sure what to do. Then Matt spoke, the words leaving his lips with a smile that Richard already knew was going to be his weakness.

“You have really beautiful eyes, Rich…”


	4. Collins? More like Cockblock.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misha decides to interrupt at a bad time, and make things worse.

“KEEP IT PG, YOU PERVS!”

Rich had been so ensnared in the way Matt’s eyes had locked on him, still trying to process the compliment when he heard Misha calling to them, struggling to push Matt away and sitting up, biting his lip as the blue eyed man made his way over, his own wetsuit rolled down like Richard’s had been when he finished his rounds before meeting Matthew.

Misha was another one like Rob—a fun guy, charismatic and handsome. As far he knew, the younger trainer was sleeping with one of the announcers, though. Jared—the one everyone called the Moose, because of his hulking size and lack of grace.

Misha stared curiously at Matt, making his way to tug Rich to his feet, brown hair spiked and wet from his own rounds in the tank he ran, training the park’s two Orca whales. His words were laced with amusement as he helped Rich up, making him glower.

“Jeez, Richie. New boy’s not even here a day and you’re trying to put the moves on him. For shame, Trickster. We have underage dolphins. This is all manners of wrong. Besides…”

Misha’s voice dropped as he shifted to murmur in Rich’s ear, cerulean eyes locked on the newcomer.

“Not everyone in this park is batting for both teams. Mandy, Sebastian, Jim, Mark, Jensen, Chad, Gabriel, uh—other Mark… Maybe Matt plays for their team?”

“We fell, you idiot.”

“Get tangled in his eyes?”

“I hope you drown, Collins.”

“Nahh… too strong a swimmer. Nice try, though. Love you, really.”

Matt was watching them, face red and drawn in concern, moving to shake Misha’s hand and shaking his head, a large hand coming to smooth his wet, black spikes as he offered an explanation.

“It was my fault, really. I asked Rich for help out of the pool, I should have been more careful. I slipped. We uh—we weren’t doing anything. Seriously. I just fell and that’s all.”

Misha flicked his eyes back to Rich, sighing as he shook his own head, small smile gracing his face.

“I’m not the one who would get mad. Tall blond man, normally wearing khaki shorts and polos—he’s the head honcho—he’d be a touch annoyed. Rich is a very friendly guy… too friendly at times. It’s been… problematic. At times. Not everyone understands our trickster the way we do.”

Rich wanted to kill Misha, pushing past them both to get to the side, taking the walk to the bleachers and sitting down. Misha was still talking to Matt, both of them looking wrapped up in the conversation, giving Rich time to reflect and seethe.

Sure, Rich was overly friendly. That didn’t make him the menace Sebastian made him out to be, sending his friends to make sure he was behaving.

There was a soft sigh, then an arm slipping around him, Rich wordlessly leaning into Rob’s shoulder as he shook his head. Matt was shaking hands with Misha again, then making his way to lean on the wall, chin on his hands, the sun glinting off the salt water still on his sharp cheekbones, offering Rich a soft grin.

“Didn’t mean to get you in trouble. I explained it all to that guy—Misha? I think you’re okay now. I’m going to go get changed… apparently there’s a party for the employees tonight? Misha said I was invited, so… See you there?”

Rich nodded returning the smile, breath catching as Matt paused, looking back to add.

“I mean it though. About your eyes.”


	5. 'Wanna Get Out Of Here?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party is in full swing, and Matt has his own ideas about an after party for two.

It had been three and half hours since the fiasco at the pools.

They had wrapped the final show an hour before, and now Rich was fixing the sound system for Rob’s band, since they were the music for the party that night.

He was not dressed yet, wearing a plain t-shirt and dark tan board shorts with his sandals as he stretched up to connect the last of the speakers. He settled on the large one he’d used as a stand, getting his ear plugs in and flashing Robbie a thumbs up, nodding to tell him to try it out. Rob nodded back, launching into his cover of Pink’s ‘You and Ur Hand’, Rich jumping as the bass line flowed through the speaker.

Rob had one of those voices that could cover anything and sound amazing, more so when his buddy Jason joined him. The pair was something to see, hamming it up to test the speakers. Rich had to admit it was cool, moving in his place to the music and feeling the energy from them as he got down. Mandy was dancing by herself in the corner, singing along and making everyone pause.

She was a good singer, just shy and reluctant most times. Once the sound check was done, Rich grabbed Rob and headed to the locker room to dress.

They had both brought clothes to work for the party, so all Rich had to do was get into his locker to grab his outfit, heading to the stalls to change. He’d settled for a red plaid button down that was a bit fitted, over a black tee and some skinny jeans that were also a darker color, lacing up his high tops and combing his hair to get it to behave.

He could already hear the sound system playing the mix that Mandy put together for the breaks from the band, more P!nk playing. Rich was not even ashamed to be dancing in front of the mirror, mouthing the words to the song as he finished up. Rob had gone simple, a dark tee and jeans with his normal low rise chucks, his wild curls tamed for once.

They linked arms, grinning playfully as they made their way out to where the staffers from the park were already drinking and dancing. The park owner, Sebastian, was talking to Misha, who had a large, younger guy draped around him. Jensen, one of the other dolphin trainers made his way over, looking so casually handsome in a plain black button down and slate grey slacks it made Richard want to scream. It sucked working with men who were effortlessly beautiful.

“How’s the new kid, Boss?”

“Talented. Driven. Smart. I think he’s going to fit in, for the most part.”

An eyebrow arched over an impossible green eye.

“For the most part?”

“Yeah. As in, I think he’ll be okay, but there might be minor issues. He’s easily distracted.”

“Yeah, well… not all of us as laser focused as you, Trickster.”

Rich sighed, shaking his head as he agreed with a hum. He knew Jen had a point. He was a bit too focused at times, it was a bad habit. He couldn’t help it though—- he’d worked hard to get the spot as head trainer and he loved his job, he loved his crew and he adored his dolphins. This was a dream for him, and he tended to get intense.

“Not everyone else has as much to lose by getting distracted, Cowboy.”

Jensen nodded this time, sighing and offering a hug before sliding off to rescue Misha from his brother, the sleepy looking giant wrapped around him, leaving Rich to notice that Rob had slipped off and he was alone. It was rare for him to be alone during an event, so he took the time to look around and observe.

His park family seemed in good spirits, enjoying the atmosphere, relaxing. They didn’t have parties often, so a break was always welcomed by the trainers and performers. He’d been watching the crowd for almost ten minutes when Matt arrived, stealing his attention.

He sauntered in, nodding his head to Mandy’s singing, since she was drunk and decided to sing ‘Slut like You’, seeming far more comfortable in this setting than he had in the pool.

He was wearing something that actually looked close to Richard’s outfit, in a plaid button down with reds and blues, long legs encased in jeans that looked painted on, cuffs rolled up around the tops of a pair of Docs. Rich let his eyes scan, sweeping up to the way Matt had carefully gelled his black hair, and how young he looked as he accepted a beer from—the harlot. Rob was of course the first to sweep in, making Rich want to just sink back into the shadows.

Then something weird happened. They were talking and then Rob pointed to where Rich was, Matt’s face breaking out in that damn smile again. He said something to Rob, then made his way to Rich, offering his hand and grinning. It took a solid minute for Richard to respond, reaching and shaking his hand, shocked as Matt used the shake to pull Rich into a hug, strong arms wrapping around him and squeezing before backing away, a soft blush breaking out on his face.

“Sorry! I’m way more of a hugger than a hand shaker… should have asked. You look great. Seems evil minds think alike, hmm?”

Rich nodded nervously and stepped back another step, humming softly.

“To be fair, you look better. Damn you supermodel types. Making us mere mortals look bad! Seriously. How’s a guy supposed to compete with—you?”

Matt laughed, and Richard instantly loved that sound and how the man threw his head back, green eyes slipping shut as he shook his head. It took him a second to come down from it, finally looking back at Richard and huffing a few more giggles before he spoke again.

“You’re good looking! All of you here are. It’s weird, actually. How are you all so fucking pretty? And some of you have some freaking inhuman eyes. That Misha guy? Those are contacts, right? He can’t actually have eyes that fucking blue, man…”

It was Richard’s turn to laugh, busting out and laughing for a long moment. Matt was really going to talk about someone else’s eyes? Had he never looked in a freaking mirror?!

“Have you ever seen yourself? Your eyes look like freaking ocean water at high tide.”

“Is high tide water green?”

“Uh—yeah?”

“Learn something new every day, I guess.”

They both laughed then, Matt moving closer and touching Richard’s shoulder lightly. It made him shiver, shifting closer and grinning back as he brought a hand to rest on Matt’s forearm. It was strange how quickly he’d adjusted to the other man being so close. It had taken weeks to adjust to anyone else, even Rob… but there was some type of magnetism with Matt. He was drawn to him, and it was tough to place. He said nothing as he stared at Matt for a moment, only blinking away when Matt spoke again, voice hushed.

“Is your boyfriend going to be mad that we’re messing around over here?”

Richard felt his face shift into a confused mask. Boyfriend? He didn’t have a boyfriend. Hell, he didn’t even have a girlfriend. He’d given up on dating years ago, finding casual flings to be far more handy and convenient. He must have given Matt a weird look, because the younger suddenly flushed again, looking down, voice even quieter.

“You’re not—crap. I uh—I thought you were, uh, you know… Is Rob not your boyfriend? “

Rob? His boyfriend? Ohhhh… now it made sense.

“Nooooo! He’s my best friend. Well, and I uh—yeah, no. He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t have a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. Nothing like that. Yeah. No… very single. No one in my life and all that…”

He flushed harder as he stared at his feet, realizing how crazy he sounded ranting like that. He held his breath, closing his eyes and shaking his head as he laughed nervously, freezing as Matt spoke next.

“Single? Really? How is that even possible? You’re gorgeous, funny… damn shame. Not all that inconvenient though. I guess that means if I ask you to dance, I won’t be called a home wrecker, right?”

Rich looked back up, breath leaving his lungs as Matt smiled at him, eyes dancing. He was being serious? Really? Rich wondered for a moment if this was a trick. It would be just like Rob to do that to him… the asshole. He took a deep breath, shaking his head.

“Right. I uh… I suck at dancing though. Might want to ask someone else.”

“I can teach you. It’s easy.”

There was a beat, Matt seeming to hold his breath as Rich thought about it, relief obvious as he finally nodded slowly.

“Okay.”

Beaming triumphantly, Matt grabbed Rich by the wrist and dragged him to the area where everyone was dancing, looking up as song with an interesting beat came on, winding his hips in time to the song. Rich was glued to the spot, watching him with interest.

It was clear that he was a pretty decent dancer, the way he moved more like flowing than dancing. There were other people around them dancing together, doing the same thing, bodies close. He wondered for a second how the hell they made it look so easy and then he was yelping.

Matt moved closer, hands landing to grip Richard’s waist tight, winding his hips against the immobile man. He leaned into Richard’s ear, humming softly.

“It’s easy. I’ll put my hand on the small of your back, and the other on your hip, like it is now. All you have to do is copy me. Okay?”

“Uh—y-yeah. I can do that.”

“Good. Let’s dance.”

And then Matt was pressing into him, rolling his hips to the song, doing as he’d warned with on hand flat on Richard’s back and the other guiding his hips, making it easier to move. There was something interesting in how this was working, Matt and him moving so close together.

He’d never been good with this sort of thing, but Matt was making it hard not to love it. As they danced, Matt’s face moved to Richard’s neck, making his pulse jump. He wasn’t doing anything, not at first. Just pressing his face into the crook of the older man’s neck.

Then it got interesting. The longer they danced, the antsier Matt seemed to get. Richard was sure his heart stopped as he felt plush lips on his skin, Matt pressing a testing kiss to the vein in his neck. When Rich moaned softly and shifted closer, Matt got bold.

Rich was drowning in the air, Matt’s lips making this whole ‘dancing against each other’ thing a bad idea. Even knowing it was going to be awkward in a second though, he couldn’t pull away. It was too nice, too needed. Matt’s fingers combed through Richard’s hair, lips moving up to nuzzle the hollow under his ear, whispering a sentence that made him whine.

“Wanna get out of here?”


	6. Things Are Going To Get Hairy...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich finds out Matt asked to work with a different trainer.

“Wanna get out of here?”

He was almost afraid he hadn’t heard right. There was no way this little ‘dance lesson’ was heading to something more already… right? He was frozen, not letting go of Matt as he continued the sinful winding of his hips against Rich, moving to kiss that spot on his neck again and making him melt, already regretting the snug fit of his jeans.

After a moment of nothing, Matt’s mouth moved back to Richard’s ear, the hand on his back slipping to rest on the curve of his ass, voice low and deep.

“I don’t live far from here. We can go talk, or y’know… get naked and have a different kind of conversation.”

So… he had heard right. Rich stumbled back, eyes wide. On one hand, he wanted to give in. He’d be lying if he said that the way they were pressing together wasn’t affecting him—but he was technically Matt’s boss, and it would be wrong. He sighed, rubbing at his face and backing away a bit more, Matt’s eyes blowing wide and a mildly panicked look crossing his handsome features. In an instant, he was stammering an apology.

“Shit. You’re not gay—I totally just asked you to have sex and you’re not into men. Fuck. Wow. Um—I’m so sorry, I thought—I really thought you were—wow. Um. Shit. Ignore me?”

Rich felt his jaw drop, shaking his head and reaching to clamp a hand on Matt’s forearm.

“I am—well. No, I’m not gay… I’m omnisexual, I mean, I sleep with men. You weren’t wrong. I just… we work together. Or, we will be working together, and I am sort of your boss. It would be wrong…”

Matt nodded slowly, moving back to stand in front of Rich nervously. He seemed unsure, the confidence that oozed from him earlier now missing. The song changed, just was fast and loud, making Richard glare offhandedly at Rob, who was now controlling the music. Then his attention came back to Matt, moving to speak into his ear to ensure he was heard over the music.

“You’re insanely beautiful, Matt. I swear, it isn’t a matter of you being attractive or anything. I just… I worked really hard to get to where I am. Something like sleeping with an employee could ruin it… understand?”

He hated how wrong the words sounded from himself, looking down and reaching to squeeze Matt’s hand. It hurt more when he was ignored, Matt pulling away and heading off to see Mandy. Rich couldn’t place why it stung so badly, watching him speak quietly to her and the two start dancing… but it did.

The night was simply unbearable after that, Rich leaving early and saying nothing as he did so. It figured that once again, doing the right thing bit him in the ass. His last thought before bed was that this was why there was no point getting attached. Attachment meant giving someone the power to hurt you.

The next day was a staff day, meaning there were meeting all throughout, and no water work. Despite that, Rich had arrived early, wearing his wetsuit and heading into the pool housing Dante and Persephone, laying on the discovery ledge, accepting affection from them as they decided to offer it.

It was quiet in the mornings, normally the only sounds were those of the animals around the park. Even though they were an aquarium, there was an actual zoo attached, and he could hear the calls of the wolves a few thousand yards away, smiling.

Animals were better than people. He’d always been able to relate to them easier. They loved with now conditions, and no questions, and it was a fierce love. He’d learned early on in the park that these animals were fast to form bonds and quick to defend. More than once he’d seen the two older dolphins go after younger calves that had appeared to be threatening, reminding them of rank and keeping him from harm.

Dante had just perched on the ledge, Rich leaning to kiss his melon and coo to him when he heard footsteps. The park owner, Sebastian, was standing at the base of the bleachers, chin on the bars and early morning light filtering through his artfully tousled blond hair.

“You have a bond I’ve never seen with these two, Rick.”

It made Rich smile, fingers dancing along Dante’s snout before he stood, ordering the dolphin back into the water and making his way to the beam to stand before his boss.

“It happens. I see them more than most humans in my life. Am I late for the meeting?”

Sebastian shook his head, standing up and tilting his head.

“Did you have a fight with Matt Cohen? The new boy, the one assigned to work with your kids in the show?”

Rich froze, eyes darkening. Had this punk really tried to get him in trouble? His face must have clearly displayed his disgust, because his boss scoffed, shaking his head and sighing.

“Did he tell you we fought? I swear, Bastian—I didn’t do anything. You know I wouldn’t risk what I have here, not when it would hurt them…”

He turned back to watch Persephone as she decided to show off, breaching and touching her command pole. Rich moved away to toss her a fish as a reward, then turned back, sighing. Sebastian spoke again, face hard to read, tone even more so.

“He asked to be assigned to a different trainer. I got the impression something might have happened, thought I’d ask you. I don’t believe you’d do anything out of line, but I wanted to be sure. I’ve assigned him to Jensen, though. Amanda will take Matthew’s place with Dante and Persephone.”

This was shocking news. Matt asked to swap teams because Rich refused to sleep with him? It was an upsetting thought to know that something he’d done to be responsible had led to something that could have gotten him in trouble anyway. It took a long moment before Rich could react, nodding.

“Good thing I know Mandy is a good swimmer. Uh… well. I guess it works. Lucky for me we hadn’t started to work on drills yet. I’ll get to work with Mandy tomorrow, then? Thanks for the heads up, Boss.”

Sebastian merely nodded and spun away, heading out. Rich was shaking with how frustrated and annoyed he was. It was honestly the most childish thing he’d ever experienced. He shook himself as he headed back to the ledge, waiting to be called for the first of the meetings for the day.

It wasn’t long until the call came, Rich bidding his aquatic children adieu and heading to get dressed. On staff days, no one wore a uniform, so he slid into dark sweats and a baggy hoodie, over his favorite black tee, lacing his high tops and heading to the conference room for the daily briefing.

His normal spot was between Mandy and Rob, since he was closest to them, but Misha was perched in that spot this morning, ripped jeans and a sweatshirt that clearly belonged to Jared hanging off his lean frame, sleeves shoved up over his elbows, which were perched on the table as he discussed something with Rob. With a soft huff and semi-joking tone, Rich grabbed the back of his chair, growling.

“This is my spot, asshole. Move. Go sit with your moose.”

Misha leaned back, shooting him a lopsided grin, blue eyes far too bright for this shit so early.

“No can do. I’m fine here, but hey—there’s an open spot by Matt. Try there?”

Richard narrowed his eyes, glaring and receiving a calm smile in return, making it clear he had no choice. The rest of the gang was filing in, Jensen half asleep and leaning on his brother’s shoulder, as if proving why Misha couldn’t sit with Jared. He let out an annoyed sigh, moving to grab the chair beside Matt, ignoring him as he perched on the back of the armchair, feet flat on the seat and sipping his coffee, hood pulled up over his head.

Matt was watching him. He could feel the younger man’s eyes on him, but he wasn’t about to look at him and acknowledge his presence yet. He was in too sour a mood after all of that to be able to be civil. He let his gaze sweep the room, careful to avoid Matthew. He’d been watching Mandy dancing in her spot on the roundtable as Sebastian and Jim walked in to get the meeting going.

It lasted an hour, going over new team assignments, plans for the day, and goals for the week. Then they went over the new safety protocols, explaining that there would be drills to test time and reaction to procedure, then they were excused, Rich calling to the aquatics team that they had two hours until they needed to meet up in the arena.

He had gathered the binder he’d been given slowly, hoping Matt would head out ahead of him, only to find the other man hovering by the door. He moved by without a word, growling as Matt jogged behind him, touching his shoulder.

“Rich! Can we talk?”

“I’m busy, Matthew. Questions can be directed to Jensen. He knows what you’d be asking, I’m sure.”

Matt sighed, gripping his shoulder and making him stop. Richard bristled, spinning to face him, pushing his hood back and glaring.

“I’m busy. What do you need, Mr. Cohen?”

“My name is Matt… what the hell is wrong with you today? Last night you were cool grinding on me and now I’m ‘Mr. Cohen’? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

An eyebrow shot up so fast, he was shocked it didn’t hurt. Either Matt was playing innocent, or the cute little thing was dumber than a pile of rocks. He shifted his binder, huffing again and shaking his head.

“You asked to be switched to a different team. The moment Sebastian okayed that swap, you were no longer my concern. Not to be rude, but really. I have to work on what I’m going to do with Mandy now. If you have ask me, make it fast.”

Matt blinked in surprise, his face darkening with confusion. Something about what Rich just said confused him? He had his answer about the ‘innocent or dumb’ thing… then Matt spoke again, making Rich feel bad for reacting so coldly.

“You said we couldn’t do anything because you were my boss… I didn’t want to get you in trouble, so I asked to change teams. I know I came on kind of strong, but I mean—I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”

That was a bit of a shock. Rich felt his face fall in surprise of his own, reaching up to muss his hair and biting his lip.

“You asked to change to keep me out of trouble? Why? I thought I made it clear… we can’t mess around. It’s not something they are too okay with here. Misha and Jared got enough shit.”

“Because you seem cool. You love what you do, and I respect that. You’ve got this vibe about you, and its really fucking cool to watch, man. I figured you’re less likely to get shit if I’m not on your team. Once you told me you’d had to work for this, I realized it was sort of fucked up to come on to you. I have a problem with authority. Kind of always have… but I can respect you and what you have going, you know?”

Now he felt like an ass for being so rude. Matt had tried to protect him? He let out a long, low sigh as he moved closer, making sure only Matt could hear him. His cheeks flushed red and his toyed with the necklace he wore, trying to find words.

“I thought you asked to swap because you were mad I said no last night. I was sort of really irritated that you’d do that. And now I feel like an asshole for thinking you were being childish…”

Matt laughed and it honestly made Rich feel a million times better. He didn’t seem mad, or offended, just amused. He took a second, then he spoke again, wiping at his eyes from all the laughing.

“I might be a dick sometimes, but I’d never be that big of a bitch. I can understand why you said no. Besides, most respectable men wouldn’t agree to sleep with someone they’d known for a whole day. So, yeah… all good, man.”

Rich nodded slowly, offering him a smile and sighing.

“I should get to the pools and check on the kids. Um—thank you, Matt. For trying to protect me. It’s really sweet of you.”

Then he turned to leave, heading away. He’d made it a few yards when Matt came up behind him, taking his arm again and spinning him around, eyes dancing.

“You uh—you could always thank me with drinks after work… y’know… since you’re not my boss anymore.”

Rich waited a beat, then answered softly, smiling at the green eyed man.

“I’d love that.”

This was about to get complicated… and he couldn’t bring himself to care.


	7. Green Eyes and Alcohol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a confusing morning and long day, Rich heads to drinks with the new kid.

“You’re an idiot. You realize that, correct?”

Rich leveled a glare at the blue eyed man behind the rail, flipping him off as he zipped his suit back up, grabbing his buckets and getting his whistle around his neck.

Sometimes, he regretted telling Rob everything. Mainly because as his best friend, he felt it was job to keep him from being stupid, even if that was what Rich needed. With a grumble, he glanced back, shoulders rolling.

“He has a point. He works for Jensen now, not me.”

“But you’re still the head of the sector, Rich. Twisting rules to make it okay doesn’t actually make it okay, and Sebastian will be pissed and crabby if he finds out.”

Poor choice of words. Rich started snickering, hand coming to cover his mouth as he nodded slowly.

“Haaa… Sebastian might get crabby… hahah…”

Rob’s face made it clear the nonexistent joke had failed to amuse him, Rich not caring as he kept up his snickering. Making his way to open the gates and let the dolphins into the main pool, setting up the session and putting them through their paces.

It took almost two hours, Rob sulking in his booth as Rich lapped the pool, working on his own skills as well as the training for the dolphins when it was finally time to call it a day.

He was hauling himself out as Mandy appeared to get the dolphins rounded up and locked away for the night in the rest tank, heading up to wait by the booth for Rob to finish the tech he needed. As soon as he switched the lights off, Rich was bouncing, reaching to grab his arm.

“Come shower with me.”

“You have a date tonight. “

“Not a date, and I am not asking for sex. I meant come wait for me.”

Huffing and groaning, they made their way to the locker rooms, Rich slipping into a shower and hurrying through it, lathering up and doing his hair at the same time so he could get done faster. Normally, he liked to take longer, enjoying the time to unwind, but today he plans. As soon as he was done, he was getting out and wrapping himself in a towel, drying off and reaching for clean clothes.

He’d gone home on lunch to pick the outfit he’d planned to wear to this meeting, settling on his favorite black and white dot shirt with his favorite black jeans, lacing up his black All Stars and brushing at the wet mess of hair on his head as Rob chattered beside him, sitting on the counter, dancing to the music playing in the shower room.

“So. What are you going to do if he kisses you?”

Rich paused to glare through the mirror, reaching to swat at Rob and growling.

“Kiss him back? He’s kind of gorgeous. It’s a kiss, Robbie. Not like I’m stripping and trying to drag him to bed. Plus, we’re going to a bar. While I may have done it before, the chances of me trying to seduce him in a bar are slim to none. Jealous?”

The snort was almost believable. If Rich didn’t know him better, he’d have bought it. He might have even overlooked the disdain dripping from Rob’s next few words. Too bad he knew Rob better than himself.

“Of what? A pretty boy with a cute smile? He’s like a toy. Shiny and new for now, but soon enough you’ll be putting him back on his shelf and this will be one of those stories we laugh about when we’re drunk.”

That offended Rich, for some reason.

“He’s not a toy. What the fuck is wrong with you? Really, Rob? Your faith in me is shocking. Thank you. I’m so lucky to have such a supportive best friend. Asshole.”

Blue eyes rolled and Rob slid down, stalking to the door.

“Have fun. I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Assuming you make it in.”

He let that jab go, finishing up and heading to his car to drive to the bar to meet Matt. It was short drive, the bar in question only a few blocks from the aquarium. He parked, making his way in and perching on a stool in the corner, watching the crowd for the man he was meeting and feeling his heart nearly stop as Matt stepped in, hipster looking neon Ray Bans covering his sea foam eyes. The music playing was loud, Rich laughing to himself as Matt danced playfully in place, scanning the crowd looking for Richard and waving as he spotted him.

As soon as he approached the table, Rich was up, reaching for his hand and feeling the air leave his lungs as Matt lunged for a hug instead. His arms lifted to wrap around the taller man’s torso, smiling as he pulled away enough to grin at him. He looked excited, eyes dancing as he pushed the shades up, smile enough to melt the last few brain cells Rich had left.

“You look great. I take it you had a good day at work?”

Rich grinned, nodding slowly.

“It was okay. How was Jensen? He didn’t work you too hard, did he?”

“Not at all. He was on the phone most of the day, so I just sort of did my own thing.”

Rich nodded, flagging the waitress down and asking for a beer for Matt, sitting down and sipping his own, watching him carefully. The bar was loud and smoky, making him lean in close to hear Matt as spoke about the day he’d had, laughing as he talked about Jensen almost falling into the pool at one point during his conversation. He was drawn to how animated Matt got, the way he told the stories capturing him instantly and holding his interest until he was done.

That was when Matt surprised him, leaning to press a shy kiss to his lips, hands on his neck and eyes closed before he pulled away, blinking in surprise.

“Sorry! I uh…”

Rich cut him off, returning the kiss and shifting closer, Matt whining as he tangled his fingers into Richard’s hair. Maybe it was not super smart, kissing him already, but something about the way the younger man moved and how easily he instigated things was electric, drawing Rich in and holding him there.

The kiss stayed innocent, just a series of soft presses of lips together, but Richard and Matt were both panting as they broke away, cheeks flushed and Richard’s hair a mess from Matt’s fingers tugging at it to keep him still. His voice shook as he spoke, eyes dancing.

“Um… so… you uh… do you do that a lot?”

Matt shook his head, laughing a little.

“Not really, no. I just… couldn’t help it. I don’t know. Thank you, for not killing me for kissing you.”

Rich laughed this time, shaking his head.

“You have a nice mouth. Fuck—uh—I just meant—I like the way you kiss?”

“So… kiss me again?”

Rich didn’t need to be asked twice, moving to settle in Matt’s lap and pressing their lips together, humming softly as Matt gripped his hips and held him in place, Rich grabbing his face and getting bold, swiping his tongue across the younger man’s lips, moaning softly as he felt Matt’s mouth open to him.

It made him shiver with excitement, tasting the mint and beer on Matt’s tongue. He wasn’t sure when, but at some point he’d shifted how they were sitting, pressing as much of himself against Matt as he could, breaking the kiss to gasp for air.

They were silent for a second, staring at each other before Matt moved back in and let a small line of kisses mark his path to Richard’s ear, purring softly as he slid one hand up Richard’s back, lipscurling against his ear and making Richard forget how to breathe.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

And this time… Richard agreed.


	8. Let's Talk... With Our Bodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich agrees to go home with Matt.

The last time Matt asked him to leave, he’d rejected the offer. There had been sound reasoning and this time? This time nothing was in the way of him nodding, taking Matt’s offered hand and letting the younger man drag him out the door, explaining that he’d walked, since his house was only a few short blocks away. He was more than happy to walk alongside the bubbly brunet, smiling as he listened to him explain that this was crazy, he’d never done this sort of thing before and he knew it seemed weird.

Rich was quick to dispel his fear, assuring him that it was fine and trying to gauge just what was expected of him and this adventure. He was still trying to work it out as they made their way up the front walk to an apartment building, Matt heading up the stairs and pausing in front of a door, beckoning Rich to come and join him. He made quick work of the door, smiling. 

“Its nothing fancy, but hey… its home. Uh, that’s Andre. He’s friendly… don’t worry. He looks scrappy, but only because he’s a rescue. Hey, kiddo… were you good while I was gone?”

Rich watched as he stooped to gather the animal in his arms, both parties appearing delighted by the reunion. It was sweet, really. It assured him that Matt was more than likely not some serial killer who hated animals. Matt spent a second lavishing the cat with attention before he came back to stand beside Rich, smiling wider as he gestured to a cracked door.

“I figured maybe we could use the quiet so we can talk. Or uh… go back to what we were doing.”

Then he moved, going into the room and Rich trailing behind him. He stepped through the door, looking around. Like the main room of the apartment, it was small, and neat. It was a little surprising, honestly. His own house was a mess normally, with clothes and mail everywhere. 

The bed was the biggest thing in the room, covered with a simple burgundy duvet and lined with four pillows with burgundy and black pillowcases, Matt perched with his back to the twisted metal of the headboard.

He moved his hand to invite Rich to sit, the older moving to sink down, watching Matt as he shifted to his knees, walking on them across the mattress to sink onto them in front of him, smiling that Cheshire cat grin again. Richard could feel his heart racing, like he was some teen about to be caught with a lover by his parents, looking at his lap and humming softly. 

“What do you wanna talk about?”

“To be honest… I don’t wanna talk.”

“Then what do you wa---“

In an instant, Matt’s mouth was on his again, making him moan as large hands attached to his neck and shoulder, Richard moving to mirror the grasp and pushing Matt back, crawling on top of him and moving the kisses from his lips to his throat, nuzzling and being careful not to leave a mark. Matt seemed to catch on, giving him more skin and tugging his hair, growling softly.

“Its okay… bite me… it won’t hurt me.”

He didn’t need more words of encouragement, sinking his teeth into Matt’s throat, tugging playfully before sucking the spot hard, rocking into him with a sigh as Matt moaned. Everything about this screamed that it was a bad idea, and that he needed to leave. Rob was right- just because the trainer he worked with changed, it didn’t mean he wasn’t still technically Matthew’s boss. And of course, though it should have stopped him, the roll of the younger man’s hips was enough to shut that nagging part up, Rich moving to tug at the hem of his shirt, wanting more skin. 

Matt complied with ease, tossing it aside and flipping them so he was pinning Richard to the mattress, Working the buttons of his shirt open so he could push the fabric away. It had gone from innocent to heated in almost an instant, Richard writhing under Matt and struggling to get more of their skin to touch. Matt seemed to get that message, hands smoothing over Rich's chest and making the older man gasp for air.

Richard watched as Matt sat up slowly, shifting to align their groins and rocking into him, grinding hard and slow, the friction perfect and mind melting as he let himself grab the green eyed man's hips to help him keep the pace. Rich had done some interesting things with past partners, but this was new, the way Matt was rubbing on him and panting like it was doing wonderfully sinful things to him.

Once the friction stopped being enough, Richard set about working open the jeans Matt was wearing, the younger man slipping up to slide them down his legs, leaving him completely naked and Richard completely breathless. Literally every inch of the man was stunning, Rich happily taking him all in. Matt caught him staring, smirking as he got back on the bed, straddling the older man's hips and leaning low to kiss his lips, breathing out against them. 

"You're overdressed. Let me fix that."

Then he was moving again, unbuttoning Rich's jeans and pulling to get them off, Richard lifting his hips to help and closing his eyes in worry as he realized it was done and he was nude. He kept them snapped closed, jumping slightly as he felt Matt's fingertips grazing his thigh. The younger man was making soft sounds, almost appreciative, like he was enjoying what he was seeing. The graze of his fingers moved up, following his side and moving to map his chest, along his neck and finally stopping on his face.

"You're gorgeous, Rick."

A single eye popped open at that, shock spreading. How could someone like Matt think that? Had the man honestly never looked at himself? He was all long, tan limbs and rippling muscles, topped with a gorgeous smile and eyes that looked like they were out of a fairytale. He was what beauty really was, and yet he was complimenting Rich?

"You're insane."


	9. 'I'd love it if you stayed, though...'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich caves and lets Matt have him. Then gets the shock of his life as he prepares to leave. There is smut in here. They do the do. I'm not the best at writing smut, so apologies right now for that.

“You’re insane. How can you think that? Have you never looked in a mirror?”

Matt seemed taken aback by the way Rich questioned him, moving to get back on the bed and straddling his hips, hands flat on the older man’s chest as his eyes darkened like the oceans tide as a storm rushed the shores. It took Richard’s breath away to see the shift, and before he could argue, the handsome younger male was leaning so they were pressed flush together.

He sealed their mouths together with a needy kiss, changing it a second later. He slowed down, getting gentle and letting his hands come to support himself above Rich. Once they were gasping for air, Matt spoke. His voice was a low rumble, sadness and irritation lacing his words, making Richard feel more exposed than being nude in front of the handsome man did.

“I don’t know who told you that, or why they would want you to think you’re not attractive… because honestly? You’re the first guy I’ve ever done this with. I just saw you and I dunno… it was like I needed you. If that makes sense. If you can’t see how sexy you are, I’ll just have to prove it to you.”

Then he was moving, dusting the kisses from Rich’s mouth along skin, carefully pressing tender little pecks everywhere he went. It was so intense, how something so careful and soft and sweet could be such a damn turn on, but it was bound to do something nice… he was used to bruising and biting kisses, meant to mark and claim. There was a quiet sort of possession in the way Matt handled him, though. Something he felt like he’d craved without knowing, like now he had what he’d been trying to find.

Matt made his way down slowly, fingers stroking and petting skin as he made a path of kisses, Richard unsure of just what to do. He was struggling to remain composed, the press of soft lips making him whine quietly. As Matt reached his hips, Rich shut his eyes. It was amazing how much more he could feel when he wasn’t relying on sight to tell him what was going on, shivers wracking his frame and making him shift, certain parts of him stirring once more.

Matt seemed to notice, smirking against the curve of Rich’s hip and letting his hands move to stroke teasingly over his thighs, humming as he shifted to rub his chest against Rich’s erection. The friction coaxed a low moan out of him, hips moving to grind himself against Matt with an impatient groan. It was a delicious feeling, a heat starting to curl in the base of his belly. Matt moved to give him a better angle, Richard pushing himself up to rub on him harder.

The shifting seemed to encourage Matt, who let a hand dip to tease himself as he watched Richard biting his lip and writhing in need. His own eyes slid shut, mouth falling open as he moved his fist a bit faster, gasping quietly and trying to coax Rich into moving faster still. Then all at once, Matt was on top of him, grinding their leaking hard ons together with a snarl floating from deep in his chest. Richard clutched at the younger man’s back, head tilting to offer him his throat.

He let out a soft cry as he felt teeth in his flesh, the feeling of the stinging bite melting with the way Matt’s slick was mixing with his to ease the glide of skin on skin. Richard was sure he was losing his mind, or that this was some sort of dream, with the way Matt licked along his throat before biting a new spot and sucking aggressively. He didn’t want it to end, hands gliding down so one grabbed for Matt’s thigh, drawing the other back up slowly to grip at Matt’s hair.

Clearly that was the right thing to do, the green eyed man moaning obscenely around a mouthful of skin and smiling impishly at the way Richard pulled. He let go of the skin, nodding against the vice-like hold on his soft hair, beaming as he rubbed his hands over Richard’s chest, dragging his nails over skin cruelly. Then it was Richard’s turn to be excited, broken curses slipping from his lips as the pain registered. He pushed up, wrapping the free arm around Matt’s shoulders again to steal another kiss, whimpering as Matthew rearranged them so his head was pressing against Rich’s entrance.

There was a sharp inhale, Rich going limp as he begged quietly. All he wanted was more of Matt and now, pushing his hips down to try and get him where he was wanted. Matt was the one thinking clearly, though, reaching for a bottle of lube in the nightstand and slicking up his fingers, drawing one teasingly around the tight grouping of muscles. Rich exhaled slowly, letting Matt swallow his moan as he moved to kiss him again, licking into his mouth before easing the finger past the muscles, Richard rocking down onto it eagerly.

Matt laughed against his mouth at the action, gingerly slipping a second finger in to join the first. It wasn’t enough for Richard, but he wasn’t going to get greedy, keeping up the way he rocked himself onto them steady and panting out happily, accepting kisses as Matt offered them.

It didn’t take long for two to become three and three to become four, both men making the same low, noises as they anticipated what was next. A condom was located and unrolled along Matt’s shaft, then there was a pause, Matt frozen with his head pressing against Richard as he quietly asked him a question he’d never been asked before.

“Are you ready?”

In all the time he’d been doing this, never before had a partner questioned if he was ready to go on. It was normally a quick prep and then straight to it… so he was a bit stunned as he looked at Matt. He bit into his lip, nodding slowly and relaxing himself so that he was almost boneless in his place, taking a steadying breath and closing his eyes.

“I’m ready, baby… go on.”

Seemingly satisfied with that, Matt gripped Richard’s hips and lined himself up, pushing in and stilling as he bottomed out, letting Rich adjust to the sudden sizeable intrusion. The latter took some deep, calming breaths, loving that Matt was easily bigger than the last guy he’d slept with and reveling in the way they seemed to fit together, moving to wrap his legs around Matthew’s narrow hips, anchoring them together and rolling his own to encourage the other to start moving.

Gripping hard, Matt began to move in and out, slowly at first, eyes closed and head back as he lost himself in the feeling. Richard resolved to keep his hands on the headboard, gripping tight and rocking with Matt to match his pace and help him. They carried on like that for a few minutes before they wordlessly synched and began to move faster, voices rising and bodies shaking from the new exertion.

As Matt came close to the edge, he reached between them and wrapped a hand around Rich, stroking him carefully and taking the scream of surprise to mean he enjoyed it, moving his hand to match the speed of his hips. Rich couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this, if ever, and it was maddening to know they were almost done.

The rest of his thoughts were cut off as he felt the familiar coil of heat returning, head falling back as he let out a muffled cry as he finished, Matt speeding up to an almost brutal pace, slamming into Richard and leaving prints that he knew would bruise on his hips.

 

Then it was Matt’s turn to fall apart, with two more, hard, deep thrusts, stilling as his body shuddered through his release. Once he was done, he collapsed on top of Rich, ignoring the mess for a moment, nosing into the older man’s neck and closing his eyes.

They were both spent, sweaty messes as they lay there, Rich moving to kiss Matt’s shoulder. He was pretty sure this couldn’t happen again, so he planned to enjoy it while he could. His arms rose heavily to wrap the larger man’s waist, humming low in his chest in content.

Then it was over much too soon, the sleepy younger man getting up to head for the bathroom to clean himself up, coming back with a washcloth to carefully mop up the partially dried remnants of their little romp on Richard’s belly. He lay still while Matt cleaned him up, drawing him back into another kiss once he’d pulled back to toss the cloth into a basket by the closet.

Rich kept it slow and sweet, trying to mirror how Matt had treated him before this started and stroking his cheeks, humming softly. He felt the air leave his lungs when Matt pulled away and turned his back on him without a word.

This was the part he should have expected, honestly. It was always like this… he would get to play, and then he had to leave. It was just that normally, they at least asked him to leave, instead of turning away. He sighed as he got off the bed, gathering his clothes and pulling on his underwear and jeans, having jut buttoned them when the silence was broken, Matt’s words shaking slightly.

“You’re leaving already? I thought you were going to be here longer…”

“Well, yeah… I mean… that’s how this works, right? We flirt, we kiss, hookup… and then I go away?”

Matt looked like he’d been slapped, moving to crawl across the bed again and sitting there on his knees and shaking his head, hands coming to run through his hair and tugging as he seemingly searched for words to explain his reaction to the half clothed man before him.

“You’re not some random hooker, Rick. This wasn’t meant to be some ‘hit it and quit it’ thing. I mean, you can leave if you don’t want to be here…”

Rich’s jaw dropped, shock setting in. He hadn’t had this happen before. He was so used to being kicked out and done with as soon as everything was said and done, even with Rob. He couldn’t move as Matt moved to kiss him once more, hands gentle on his cheeks and lips soft. He almost didn’t hear what Matt added… almost.

“I’d really love it if you stayed, though…”


	10. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super short, sort of fluffy. I know I haven't updated in a while, so here.

He hadn't planned on this. On being wanted around and staying there with Matt... it was supposed to be a normal thing and he was supposed to leave. Until he was standing there, Matt's lips on his own and those fucking eyes on his. How was he supposed to say no to that? To the way he'd breathed the words out against his mouth like a prayer? He had no choice, melting as he kissed him again, letting the younger man draw him back onto the bed, shivering as fingers danced along the ridge of his back and traced his spine. It was nice, being held and touched and kissed, being wanted. It was intoxicating, truthfully. 

They'd kissed for a while, only stopping when Matt rolled to his back and lay there laughing breathlessly, eyes shut and dazed grin gracing his now swollen lips. Rich had rolled to his side, watching him carefully, not sure what to do and not wanting to break the spell that was this magical silence. He'd long since resigned to let the other man lead this, taking his cues and letting the control be taken from him. So far? He liked it. He loved it, even. He trusted Matt, somehow. He knew this would flow how it was supposed to, without him being overbearing and hyper vigilant. 

After a long stretch of nothing, Matt spoke. His voice was hushed and soft, like they were in a crowd and he wanted to share a secret with Richard, rolling to face him and lightly tracing his face. A thumb moved to wander over Richard's lower lip, eyes dancing. 

"Thank you... for staying, I mean." 

Well. That was... not what he'd expected. It was one thing to ask him to stay, it was another to thank him for doing it. He had no idea how to feel about this night. It had started off so wild and intense, and now it was this quiet, tame... almost domestic... moment. He let his own hand move to curl around the man's jaw, locking his eyes and nodding slowly as he pressed a kiss to his lips again, humming softly. 

"Thank you for wanting me to..."


	11. You Got Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get back to the roots of this AU. Rich gets a phone call while he's sleeping off the bliss of his night with Matt, and it shakes the foundation of the life he's built at the aquarium. There is a character death, one of the dolphins. If that's sad, please, don't read. I won't be offended... it hurt me to write.

He didn't remember finally falling asleep, wrapped up with Matt. He barely remembered the sweet smile on the man's face before he was being awoken to his phone ringing, the sound telling him it was the boss calling. Rich scrambled to answer, waking Matt up in his rush. He fumbled with the phone, hitting accept and putting it to his ear as Matt sat up, head tilting and green eyes closing as Rich mumbled a hello. Then the night was forgotten as Sebastian began speaking. 

"Rich? We need you to come in. Something's happened." 

He didn't even say goodbye, hanging up and darting for his clothes, getting his shoes on and looking at Matt with wide eyes. He wanted to stay, but the dolphins were his family and if something was wrong... 

"That was Roche. Something is going on at the park, something with the dolphins. I need to get there and make sure they are okay..." 

"I'll drive you. Your car is at the bar... so it'll be faster." 

Then Matt was moving to get dressed, neither of them talking as Matt grabbed his keys as they headed for the car. It was a short drive, Rich getting out before the car had fully stopped, rushing up the walk to the path leading to the pools, passing pale staffers and a crying Mandy. He made his way to the pool where Persephone and Dante were housed, Sebastian standing on the wall and commanding divers, Rich's heart stopping as he heard Persephone crying from the gate. 

Sebastian gave him an apologetic frown, stepping aside so he could see. Dante was at the bottom of the pool, clearly lifeless. Tears sprang to his eyes as he pushed past to get to the ledge, not caring that he was in street clothes. Jensen and Misha were suited to dive, since they were not only trainers but recovery divers, Misha's blue eyes dark with sorrow as he looked at Rich, voice catching. 

"I'm sorry, Richard... we don't know what happened. They were in the main pool, Jay went to check on them and Persephone was acting weird... we gated her, and he just... sank." 

The tears fell faster as Rich nodded, watching them lower the stretcher and the men prepare to dive, sitting on the ledge, partially submerged as he tried to make sense of this. Dante had been fine during the day... eating, being social... there had been no clues that anything might be wrong. This was a shock and it hurt so bad. Matt was standing on the gate, looking down at the distressed Persephone, and as Rich moved to stand, he watched the younger man jump, putting himself into the gated off pool with her. 

Rich made his way to the gate, watching Matt tread water and stroke over the grieving dolphin's snout and sides, whispering to her as he tried to soothe her. After a second, he looked up to Rich, tears in his eyes as he all but pleaded. 

"Can't we let her say goodbye? She's hurting... I don't know anything about dolphins, but I can see it. She's in pain..." 

"We can't. She'd fight the divers, refuse to let them take him... we don't know what caused this... we have to protect her." 

It killed him, watching nervously as the recovery team loaded the corpse into the truck to be transported for a necropsy. The tears hadn't stopped, but he had no time to grieve, not really. The pool needed to be cleaned in case the cause of death was something that could be passed to the other dolphins. Matt stayed where he was, offering Persephone company as they moved about, getting the pool drained and cleaned. 

It had been roughly 11 at night when they'd been called back, and now as they were testing the new water, it was almost 1 in the afternoon. The park had been closed, duties attended to and most of the focus on getting the pools cleaned so they could get Persephone out of the isolation pool. When it was time, Matt hauled himself out, moving to rest on the ledge so Rich could get into the isolation pool with her, giving Misha the signal to open the gate and let her in, Persephone looping the main pool twice before darting back into isolation. 

It was puzzling and heartbreaking. The entire time Richard had been there, Dante and Persephone had been pooled together. They were family, a pod, and now he was gone. Sebastian ordered a battery of tests to figure out what was going on, to make sure she wasn't sick before they moved her to the pool with the aquarium's other four dolphins. The staff had dispersed as the day went on and by six, Rich was alone in the pool with her. 

He'd perched on the platform, feet in the water, watching his Persephone make short trips to the gate that had been left open, vocalizing loudly as she tried to call Dante back to her. She'd only just come back when Rich finally lost it, letting himself break down and cry. It was hard to lose Dante, because they had bonded... but it was worse watching Persephone suffer. Richard had no idea how long he was crying, but suddenly he wasn't alone. 

Matt had crept up on him, an arm wrapping his shoulders and pulling him close, kissing the top of his head. He wanted to pull away, to argue that he didn't need to be comforted... this loss was harder for his girl than for him... but it was so nice to feel wanted. To have someone reach out and care. He sniffled, pulling away to reach out and rest his palm on Persephone's nose, watching her as he spoke to Matt. 

"Dante was the first dolphin I'd ever seen up close. I was... fuck... no older than twenty one. I was a rookie and they'd just rescued him. He'd beached and been so dehydrated, he stroked. They thought that was it, he'd be a goner... and I was a vet tech. Two month in the med pool and I tried to stay objective..." 

His voice cracked as Persephone pushed up to get closer, Rich slipping further into the water to get closer to her. 

"The first time I honestly swam with him was after I'd cleared him. We knew he'd never be released back to the ocean, so he was paired with a younger female... Persephone." 

He took a moment to lavish her with attention, kissing her and rubbing over her side as he tried to gather himself, treading water and turning to look at Matt. 

"It was surreal. I'd worked on nursing this beautiful animal back to life and now... I was told since we'd bonded, they wanted me to work with him. To learn about training. I was scared, because he was bigger than when he'd come in, but... he knew it. He made sure I knew he'd never hurt me. I uh-- I don't have a family. Not really. My folks died when I was in my thirties, and my sisters and I don't talk. These dolphins... they are all I have. Dante was my friend. He was there when I was sure I had no one else and now he's just... he's just gone. I can't process it, because I don't remember life before he changed everything." 

Richard moved to get out, Matt taking his hand to help him, and that's when Rich caught it-- Matt was crying. He was stone faced and had tears on his cheeks as he puled Rich close again, face in his neck, holding his wet body close and whispering. 

"I'm so fucking sorry, Rick. I can't-- I can't imagine losing Andre, but I bet that's the closest I'd come to what you feel right now. I can't tell you it'll be okay... I don't know if it will... but the pain will ease. You will learn to go on... and if you want, I'll be here. To help you. I know what its like to have no one... and I think its time we had someone, hmm?" 

He pressed a kiss to the side of Rich's head and that made it hurt worse. He wanted to fight and tell Matt all he needed was the animals. They were all he'd ever needed... but the warmth and strength was too inviting and too comforting. He melted and all he could get out was a hoarse grateful murmur. 

"Thank you, Matt..."


	12. Nothing About Love Is Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I SUCK AND THIS IS LIKE TWO MONTHS LATE! Anyway. The results from the necropsy are in, and Rich is not okay. In the wake of it, he takes time to realize that maybe he likes Matt more than he originally planned. the next chapter won't suck this bad, promise.

The next week was a blur of action.

Persephone was cleared as healthy and sent to the main tank with the four younger dolphins, to wait for a new partner. Sebastian had said they were taking one who’d lost her partner from a park in Florida, but as Rich sat on the discovery ledge with her, he was less than enthusiastic about how Persephone would greet the new addition. She was still not eating, constantly waiting by the gate like she thought Dante would be back soon… and it hurt Richard.

He’d been trying to feed her when Roche came to him, asking him to come to the medical bay to discuss the results of Dante’s necropsy. He’d pressed a kiss to her melon and shot Matthew a grateful smile as he watched the younger man slip in to take his place, trying to coax her into eating a mackerel. Rich made a detour to change, emerging a few minutes later and heading in, standing by the door, arms over his chest.

“What did they find?”

Sebastian looked sad, something Rich wasn’t used to. His blue eyes were dark with grief, looking to the pathologist, Felicia. The small redhead cleared her throat, handing Rich the file and speaking softly.

“There was nothing _physically_ wrong with Dante. The labs all came back clean… there were no external abnormalities… the tox panel came back with no heart issues.”

“So… you’re telling me a **perfectly** healthy dolphin just… dropped dead?”

His voice shook with sorrow and rage, angry that they were saying Dante was fine. He couldn’t have been, he wouldn’t have—he’d have been okay if that was true.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Speight. There’s nothing else to say… I reread the results a dozen time, I even did my own tests. I have no idea what killed Dante… but it wasn’t his health.”

He tried to hold off on the anger, closing his eyes and picturing Dante that last day. He’d been so normal… so lively and happy. It still hurt him, eyes prickling despite being screwed shut in pain. He drew a shaky breath, head dipping as he growled out.

“Then we need to do something else. Go over security footage, re-order the necropsy. Something. He was _fine_ Saturday morning. I was with him, he was perfect. Healthy animals don’t just suddenly die. You and the other vet missed something, Felicia. You had to have.”

He lost it, then. His tears flooded his eyes, slipping down his face as he stared at the small woman, pleading silently for something to give him the closure he needed. He didn’t want to think about another dolphin coming in when they had no idea what had killed Dante… it was selfish, cruel, and potentially hazardous for Hera.

Felicia promised to see what she could do, and Sebastian dismissed Rich, sending him off. He decided to get lunch, not wanting to be alone with his thoughts. He’d just entered the cafeteria when Matt walked in, talking to Jeff and Rob about something. Once he’d spotted Rich, though, he made his way to him. A strong hand rested on Richard’s side, green eyes warm like the smile on the man’s face.

“You okay?”

“No…”

“You wanna talk about it? Or uh… just eat?”

“Eat.”

“I’m paying.”

Rich didn’t have time to argue before Matthew was getting two trays and loading them with food, returning after he’d paid and plopping one down in front of Rich, chirping happily as he tried to distract the older man ( something Rich was grateful for.)

“So, Rob is pretty cool. I think he wants to bone you, though. He got really jealous looking when I told him you and I had dinner the other night. How long have you known him?”

Rich shook his head a bit, smiling in spite of himself.

“I’ve known him since I was… fuck… twenty-six, I think. He’s been my best friend for a lifetime, it feels like. And he’s not jealous—he’s just annoyed I stopped begging him to suck my dick.”

Matt laughed, taking a bite of the salad he’d grabbed himself, swallowing and asking as he took a sip of his iced tea.

“Why’s that?”

“I sort of met someone I don’t wanna scare away with my whorish ways.”

Matt’s smile grew.

“Sounds like a special someone.”

“Ehh, he’s alright.”

There was a soft chuckle, then Matt closed the gap between them with a soft kiss, one hand on Richard’s cheek. He let himself get lost in it, parting with a soft hum. They hadn’t slept together since that first night, Rich so focused on the things they needed to do in the wake of Dante’s passing, but Matt had been sweet and kind, taking time to offer comfort and affection when they had a moment. They hadn’t talked about what this meant for them, but he was fine with it… for now, this uncomplicated attention was something he needed.

“Okay, maybe he is more than _alright._ Maybe I really care about him and that’s why I don’t wanna be a whore.”

“Better answer.”

Rich pulled away to finish eating, watching Misha and Jared eating in their normal corner, Jensen perched on the table between them like always as the trio discussed something. He didn’t know why, but he’d always envied the connection Jared and Misha had. They were clearly mad about each other, open with affection and constantly unafraid to show their love. It was something Richard had never had, and it was a sight to behold.

He hadn’t noticed Matt watching him as he watched Misha shake his head, laughing at something his boyfriend had said as he leaned in for a kiss, but the younger man was indeed observing the way Rich tracked the movements, face an unreadable mask. He cleared his throat, Rich turning back to look at him, cheeks flushing.

“I’ve never had that. What Jare and Misha do… its crazy to me.”

“That they can be so openly in love?”

“That they are so fearless with it. They are setting themselves up for heartbreak if things go south.”

Matt looked sad for a second, nodding slowly and shrugging as he opened his cookie, breaking it and absently handing Rich half.

“Maybe its not so much fearless as it is… making the most of it. They don’t seem like the kind of guys who would be worried about losing each other… so they are living in the moment, not the ‘what ifs’, if that makes sense.”

Rich shrugged, watching as Jared pulled Misha into his lap, face burrowing into his neck as he kissed it. Matt made a valid point, Rich turning to look at Matt instead. He’d given up on the whole ‘love’ thing long ago, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting what they had… with Matt.

“I guess that would make sense…”

Then he needed out of there, afraid of making a fool of himself. He leaned to kiss Matt’s lips softly, pulling away and sighing.

“I should head back and get to work. I’ll see you at the staff meeting.”

With that, he was off, heading out. If he’d stopped though, he’d have seen how Matt watched Misha and Jared, then looked to Rich’s retreating back with a look in his eyes that mirrored how Rich felt perfectly.

 


End file.
